Building Trust
by geekout
Summary: After the war, everyone needs to learn how to move forward. How will the ministry play into their lives? What will they have to give up?
1. Chapter 1

"I can't imagine what the ministry is going to do to rebuild the trust." Hermione laid down the Daily Prophet's list of all of the corrupt employees. The list was longer than many people had predicted. She couldn't even make it past the first page of names without feeling sick. She knew that there was a lot of infiltration from Voldemort's side during the last war, but many of the names were people who had been working for the ministry since before the first war.

"I am sure that Kingsley will have some plan." Harry said from across the room. He and Ron were playing wizarding chess. Ron didn't even acknowledge Hermione's comment because he was so engrossed.

The war trials were just getting ready to take place. The Aurors had asked the golden trio if they were interested in being on the jury. Harry and Hermione wanted to move on past the war and all of those associated with it. Ron was ecstatic that he was considered to be so powerful and wise. He didn't even have to think before saying yes. Hermione had tried to talk to Ron about how being on the jury would be a lot of stress. However, Ron seemed more interested in the fact that he was going to get to punish those who had mocked him during his childhood.

Ginny popped her head around the corner, "Hermione, can you come and help me with something?"

"Um… sure." Hermione exited the sitting room and followed Ginny up the stairs of Grimmauld place. "What do you need help with?"

"I don't know what to do about Harry!"

"I didn't realize that something needed to be done. What is wrong with Harry?"

"Other than the fact that he won't even talk to me? NOTHING! I put up with him dumping me and then running all over the bloody country last year. But we are supposed to be together. Everyone knows it! Except, I can't get him to look at me, let alone snog me!" Ginny threw herself on the bed rather dramatically. Hermione tried her best not to roll her eyes.

"Ginny, I am not sure I have any great advice for you. Maybe you should—"

"—I know! I will just have to do more to get him to notice me!" She skyrocketed off the bed and started rummaging through her suitcase. "What if I was to wear something super daring?"

"—I think maybe you should just ask to speak with him. You don't need to wait for him to make the first move."

"I guess I will have to give that a try supposing I don't have any skimpy clothes to parade around in." Hermione could never understand why girls thought that throwing their body around was a way to get a male's attention. Didn't they have any pride in themselves? I mean, don't they want boys to want them for their personality? "So what is going on with you and Ron? Any more heated kisses in hidden chambers?"

"No." Hermione sighed. "I think it was just a one time thing. He seems to be uninterested in revisiting that part of our relationship. I overheard him talking to Harry about meeting up with Lavender last weekend."

"Are you serious?" Hermione didn't know if she wanted to continue this discussion and let Ginny know how crushed she was or if she should pretend it didn't bother her so she wouldn't have to talk about it.

"Yeah. He seemed pretty excited about their little run in. It seems she hasn't quite gotten over him and was more than … um… willing to show him how much she wants him in her life." Hermione was trying to forget the extreme detail that Ron told Harry about his encounter. When she heard it, she knew she should keep moving, or interrupt them. However, a part of her was so shocked that their kiss just the week previous had meant so little to him. For her, that kiss had been a culmination of years of longing and loving from a far.

"Gross! Lavender was always such a slag. I don't understand what Ron sees in her. Clearly, you are a much better person."

"I guess I will just have to figure out how to move on. He seems to have made his choice."

"I am sorry Hermione. However, if my talk with Harry doesn't go how I want it to, then you and I can hit the town together. Find us some new boys to keep us company."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

* * *

"So are you and Pansy still meeting up regularly?" Blaise gave Draco a wink over his glass of firewhiskey.

"I don't know. She came by a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard from her since. I think that she might be done with me since the Malfoy name does not carry as much prestige with it anymore. We all know that Pansy was just after me for my power and influence."

"I thought she was after you for your winning personality." Draco gave a wry smile. "I mean, goodness knows that is why I come around."

"Blaise, you come around because I have the best firewhiskey."

"True." Blaise raised his glass in Draco's direction. "So, I have been seeing this new broad recently. I think she went to Hogwarts with us, but I can't be certain."

"Who is it? And how do you not know if she went to school with us? Our classes weren't that large."

"She wasn't in Slytherin and I think she is a few years younger than us. I can't be sure, but she just seems a little bit younger than us. Do you know of some girl named Luna?"

"Loony Lovegood? You are dating Loony?" Draco threw his head back against the armchair.

"Luna." Blaise ground out. "I take it that you know who she is." Draco nodded.

"Yeah, she is a bit…. Um… eccentric. Or at least she used to be."

"Yes, she is. But it is refreshing after being around all of the boring aristocratic girls who parade around us."

"I bet." Draco leaned back and closed his eye.

* * *

"Harry, do you have a minute to talk?" Harry looked up from the Daily Prophet and saw Ginny sit down on the couch across from him.

"Sure." Harry swallowed the huge lump building in his throat. "What would you like to talk about?" Harry knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. He just wasn't sure if he was ready for that conversation.

"Do you, Do you think –" Ginny's face started filling in with color as she stumbled over her words. "What do—I mean, do you— Oh, nevermind!" Ginny got up from her seat and started heading towards the door.

"Gin, I don't know." Harry knew the question she wanted to ask even though she couldn't figure out how to ask it. Upon his statement, Ginny turned around and seemed to be able to find her words.

"What do you mean you don't know? You don't know if you still care about me? You don't know if I still care about you? You don't know what exactly?" Before Harry could respond, she pushed forward letting him know all of the emotions she has been storing up for a while. "Do you know what I don't know? I don't know why you broke up with me. I don't know how you can say you love me and then the next day walk away from me. I don't know how you have been able to ignore me since you returned. I don't know how you seem to not even care that I am in the same room when it takes EVERYTHING inside of me to not hold your hand, to kiss you, to hug you, to keep you here with me." Harry looked like he was ready to pipe in, but Ginny wasn't finished yet. "You know what I don't know, Harry Potter? I don't know how you are willing to die for people you don't even know, how you are willing to give up everything, including me!"

Harry just sat there unable to respond as Ginny stood there berating him. He didn't know what to say to comfort her, but he knew he needed to figure it out soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco sat in the parlor after Blaise left. He contemplated Blaise's new relationship. Luna Lovegood. Draco understood that since the war ended, the lines were blurring between different social groups. However, he didn't think it would impact his group so quickly especially with such an unlikely addition. "I wonder what they even have in common." Draco pondered. His last memory of Luna was her wearing some bizarre headdress at some quidditch match or something. Blaise had always seemed so much of a straight shooter, so for him to take up with someone who definitely did not conform to society made Draco wonder what Luna was really like.

He continued to drink his firewhiskey. Deep down he knew that people would be looking at him to see if the war had any immense impact on him. They would be waiting to see if he would continue on the path that his father had crusaded for his entire life, or if he would change positions and turn to the "light". The fact that people could generalize the war into two sides: dark and light, made Draco angry. It was as if they thought you were evil or good, that there were no opportunists, or weaklings, or manipulated people in the world. He wished that it could have been as simple as dark and light. He wished that he had a word for what he considered himself. He knew that deep down he was a good person. However, he was not ignorant enough to believe that the general population thought he was a good person or that they would be willing to forgive him even if he did have a "change of heart".

* * *

Hermione walked briskly down the hall of her office at the ministry. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't want to answer any of their questions. More importantly, she didn't want to have anyone thank her. People thanked her. She understood that people were happy the war was over, but it wasn't like she was the one who ended it. Every time someone thanked her, she wanted to scream at them that they shouldn't be thanking her. Instead they should be paying thanks to those who died for this cause both in the first war and in the second. They should be thanking the Potters, the Longbottoms, Dumbledore, Tonks, Lupin and so many others. She didn't want their thanks any more than she wanted their pity.

She was so close to the door, she almost make it to her office when she heard it. "Hermione, might I have a word with you in my office?" She recognized the deep voice.

"Of course Minister." She turned and followed Kingsley Shacklebolt back to his office. He indicated for her to take the seat across from his desk. With a flick of his wand he shut the door.

"I have heard good things about your work Hermione." Kingsly looked over at her and for some reason it made her feel uncomfortable.

"Thanks, I guess. I don't think I have done anything that great or helpful. I simply just file the papers. I guess Mr. Parker is just happy he doesn't have to do it anymore." She gave an uneasy laugh. She had only been working at the Ministry for a few weeks. She took a job as an intern for the Department of Muggle Relations not so much because it was her burning desire to work there, but more for the fact that she had to do something. The busier she was, the less time she had to think about the war, her lost friends, her lack of relationship, her missing family and any other horrible thought that swept through her mind. Working long hours doing mindless work wasn't the ultimate fix, but it was a definite band-aid to the situation.

"Yes, I bet Mr. Parker enjoys being able to focus on more meaningful work, if you will." Kingsley looked like there was something more he wanted to add, but couldn't figure out how to transition the conversation.

"No offense Minister, but I doubt that you wanted to meet just to let me know that I am not an incompetent intern. What would you like to discuss today?" Shacklebolt gave slight chuckle at how direct Hermione was.

"You are correct. I am not sure if there is any good way to ask you what I am going to ask you, so I shall just jump right in." He looked to Hermione for some sort of confirmation that it was okay to proceed. When she didn't give any response, he continued on. "There are members of the ministry who are concerned that even though the war is over, it won't be officially over until there is a change in the social dynamics of the wizarding world, especially the relationship between purebloods and muggle-born witches and wizards."

Hermione didn't know why Kingsley had pulled her aside to have this conversation, but since she was now being pulled into it, she might as well voice her opinion. "I agree. I think that until there is friendship or at least respect amongst all wizarding types as well as magical creatures and species, there will always be the possibility for another war. I wish that at Hogwarts they would have had more interactions between houses or something so that we weren't always pitted against one another." While she spoke, Kingsley just nodded. She wasn't sure if she should feel encouraged or not.

"Personally, I agree that there needs to be a larger effort during the younger years to create a level of respect. However, since those programs may not produce any meaningful change for many years, I have been trying to think of a more immediate way to show the wizarding world that change is possible. I think that they need to have some example, some leader to show them that change is possible for everyone, no matter what their life has been like so far. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess so. Isn't it your job to be that leader?" As soon as she said it, she realized how flippant it sounded. "I am so sorry Minister, I didn't mean to be rude."

"Not to worry. Yes, it is my job to be that leader. However, I was thinking that if there was some way to have a more natural example, it would work better. I want to ask a favor of you on behalf of the wizarding world." He paused to take in her reaction. However, Hermione barely blinked. "I want you to befriend Draco Malfoy. I believe that if the public sees a budding relationship between the two of you, then they will believe that change can be for everyone. What do you think?"

Hermione should have been more surprised than she really was. She knew that even though she had given the last year of her life for the wizarding world, they would always have something more to ask of her. "Befriend Draco Malfoy?" Kingsley nodded to her question. "I cannot imagine this is something that either he or I would enjoy. You do realize that he has been my tormentor for many years? Yes, of course you do. That is why you think it would be the perfect model relationship. Have you asked this of Draco? What was his response?"

"I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Malfoy about this idea. I figured I would discuss it first with you and then I would be able to discuss this with him at a later date."

"You mean, you wanted me to say yes so then you could pressure him into doing it?" Hermione knew that Malfoy would be a harder sell than herself. She may feel a moral obligation to do what is asked of her, however, Malfoy felt himself above the ministry's rules for years, let alone their suggestions.

"Hermione, I know that this is possibly asking a lot of you. However, I would like you think about it. I am not asking you to give up everything. I am asking you to befriend someone who is in desperate need of good influences in his life. I am asking you to help give the wizarding world hope by helping a man who doesn't even realize he needs it. I don't expect you to answer me now. However, I would like you to think about it and get back to me tomorrow. I would love to have an opportunity to meet with Mr. Malfoy soon." He looked as if he wanted to plead with her to say yes. However, he simply dismissed her. "Have a good day and keep up the good work."

* * *

"It was brilliant, Harry." Ron had been on top of the world when he came home from the courtroom today. "They all looked to me. I can't tell you how great it was to realize that I could tell those death eater scum what they had to look forward to for the rest of their lives. I can't believe you turned down the chance to be apart of the hearings."

Harry didn't want to hear about all of the hearings going on. However, he was more concerned for the excitement that Ron showed by getting to punish others. It was as if it was a childhood dream come true to send people to Azkaban and sentence them to the dementor's kiss. Harry shuddered even thinking about it.

"I don't know how you do it mate." Harry looked over to Ron, but Ron wasn't even paying attention. His eyes were closed with a giant goofy grin on his face. Walking into the room, most would think he had just had his first kiss instead of sending the first group of death eaters to Azkaban. "Ron, why did you not pursue Hermione after the battle?"

Ron's smile disappeared. "I don't know. She is just so intense all of the time. I can't deal with her wanting to fix me or comfort me or anything. Lav is great because all she wants to do is be with me, tell me how great I am and give me lots of personal comfort, if you know what I mean."

"So, it wasn't because you didn't love her? Do you love her?" Ever since Ginny's blow up the other day, Harry had been trying to figure out what he felt towards her.

"Of course I love her. I am sure that when I am ready for the intense relationship, you know after I get all of the mindless fun out of the way, she will be there and we will have kids and everything will be as everyone always predicted it would." Harry tried to not let his jaw drop at the response.

"You mean, you just think she is going to wait around until you are done screwing around? What if she decides to move on?" Harry had been so nervous that Ginny would move on before he had decided whether or not he wanted her to. He also couldn't believe that Ron felt no loyalty to Hermione in the sense of physical intimacy.

"Yeah right. Harry, this is Hermione we are talking about. Who is she going to move on to? It isn't like I expect her to wait around forever, forever, but I figure in a year or so I will want to start settling down." With this, Ron once again laid his head back on the couch, showing Harry that he was done with the conversation.

Harry sat there looking at Ron and hoping that Ginny or Hermione never heard Ron say anything like that. He can't imagine how hurt Hermione would be or how injured Ron would be after Ginny got a hold of him. Despite Ron's atrocious attitude towards women, Harry knew he had an answer for Ginny.


End file.
